Filler fixture having a wear ring and a support ring



May 20, 1947. 1-. F. KNIGHT 2,420,668

FILLER FIXTURE HAVING A WEAR RING AND A SUPPORT RING Filed Sept. 18,1942 Patented May 20, 1947 UNITED STATS FILLER FIXTURE HAVING A WEARRING AND A SUPPORT RING (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, asamended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) 4 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a filler fixture such as would be used incharging an ammunition component with explosive.

It is the object of this invention to provide a filler fixture whichpermits the rapid loading of shell with explosive charge in comparativesafety. It is also the object of the invention to provide a fixturewhich can be replaced in part without replacement of the entire fixture,when a part of the fixture becomes worn. The fixture consists of afunnel secured to a holder which is adapted to engage the threads of thefiller hole of a shell. The holder is preferably made up of two rings: asupporting ring and a wear ring, the latter being readily replaceable.The replaceability feature is desirable because of the considerable wearimposed on the threads by the continual screwing and unscrewing to whichthe ring would be subjected in use. The component parts are made of anonsparking material, such as copper or its alloys, or even ofnon-metallic materials.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferredembodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a center longitudinal section of a fixture made accordingto the invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, a funnel 2 is shown secured, as by soldering, to aholder adapted to engage the threaded opening of a shell to be filledwith explosive. The holder may, if desired, be made all in one piece,but it preferably comprises an internally tapered support ring 4 bearingthe funnel 2, said support ring being formed with an externally threadeddependent extension having a discharge opening it at its lower end, andan internally and externally threaded wear ring 6 releasably threaded onsaid dependent extension of said support ring as indicated at 8.Separation of the said rings by unscrewing while said holder is beingscrewed into or out of the threaded opening of a shell is prevented by aplurality of set screws Ii] carried in suitable bores in the said wearring 6 and adapted to engage said support ring 4 upwardly of saiddependent extension thereof. The external threads 12 of wear ring 6 arearranged for engagement with the threads of the filler opening of ashell. There are only two of these threads, to permit quick assembly anddisassembly of the holder and shell. However, repeated use of theholder, resulting in wear on threads l2 to the point where they areuseless, does not make the whole fixture useless, because ring 6 can beremoved and replaced by a new ring having good threads.

The holder is preferably provided with a nipple Id at the outlet end ofthe discharge opening I6. The said nipple is arranged for seating in theupper end of the fill tube of said shell, the upper end of which isshown in dotted lines at I8, thus providing effective sealing means forthe shell while being filled.

I claim:

1. A filler fixture for loading .an explosive charge into shell havingan internally threaded opening, comprising an internally and externallythreaded wear ring, said external threads being arranged for assembly inthe threaded opening of said shell, a support ring internally taperedfor the receipt of a funnel and having an externally threaded dependenthollow extension with a discharge opening at its lower end, said supportring being constructed and arranged to be screwed into said wear ringand extend therethrough into the opening in said shell, and releasablelocking means carried by said wear ring and engaging said support ringabove said extension whereby the joint rotation of said wear ring andsaid support ring is assured in the assembly or disassembly of saidfixture and said shell.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said releasablelocking means carried by said wear ring comprises a plurality of setscrews supported in suitable bores provided therein in engagement withthe outer surface of said support ring above its threaded extension.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the said support ring is providedwith sealing means for the shell while being filled comprising a nipplecarried on the lower end of its threaded extension adjacent thedischarge opening therein.

4. A filler fixture for loading an explosive charge into a shell havingan internally threaded opening, comprising, in combination, aninternally and externally threaded wear ring, said external threadsbeing arranged for assembly in the threaded opening of said shell, asupport ring provided with a tapered internal cavity and having anexternally threaded dep hollow e 'sion with a discharge opening at itslower end,

said support ring being constructed and arranged to be screwed into saidwear ring and extend therethrough into the opening in said shell, afunnel permanently secured in the tapered cavity in said support ringand communicating with said discharge opening, sealing means for saidshell while being filled carried on said hollow extension at the lowerend thereof adjacent the discharge opening therein, and releasablelocking means comprising a plurality of set screws carried by said wearring in engagement With said support ring above said hollow extensionwhereby the joint rotation of said Wear ring and said support ring isassured in the assembly or disassembly of said fixture and said shell.

THOMAS F. KNIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 358,021 Deasey Feb. 22, 18871,899,095 Knight et a1 Feb. 28, 1933 2,192,498 Hyman Mar. 5, 19401,205,666 Rosenfeld Nov. 21, 1916 1,865,926 Laing July 5, 1932 FOREIGNPATENTS 15 Number Country Date 808,489 France Nov. 14, 1936

